Thomas Hardy Movies

Author Thomas Hardy's infamous novel is translated to the screen courtesy of director David Blair, who relocates the timeless tale of greed and deception to a modern setting. Driven by poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles, beautiful innocent Tess Durbeyfield finds her ruse falling apart after crossing paths with the suspicious and highly manipulative Alec D'Urberville. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Produced for the BBC in 2001, The Mayor of Casterbridge is the second British miniseries version of Thomas Hardy's 1886 novel (the first was filmed in 1978). This time, Ciarán Hinds stars as Michael Henchard, an unemployed drunkard who, in a moment of greedy delirium, sells his wife, Susan (Juliet Aubrey), and their infant daughter, Elizabeth Jane, to a passing sailor -- for a price of five pounds. Sobering up the next day, Henchard conducts a frenzied search for his family, only to find that they have already gone. Swearing off liquor, Henchard promises to re-invent himself as a solid and dependable citizen. He succeeds so thoroughly in this endeavor that, 18 years later, he has risen to the rank of mayor of Casterbridge. About to make his reformation complete by wedding attractive young Lucetta (Polly Walker), Henchard is aghast to discover that his wife and now-grown daughter (played as an adult by Jodhi May), have returned home. Hounded by his conscience, Henchard bends over backward to make amends to his loved ones -- only to revert to his old, disreputable self when things go terribly wrong. Meanwhile, a new intrigue has blossomed vis-à-vis a romantic triangle involving Elizabeth Jane, Lucetta, and handsome, righteous Donald Farfrae (James Purefoy). The Mayor of Casterbridge made its U.S. debut August 17, 2003, on the A&E cable channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Thomas Hardy's classic 19th century novel Tess of the d'Ubervilles was expansively adapted to television in this two-part British miniseries. Justine Waddell stars as Tess D'Urbeyfield, the poor relation to the prosperous D'Ubervilles, a rural family. Sent to work on the farm of her distant relatives, Tess stirs up an intense romantic rivalry between her cousin Alec D'Uberville (Jason Flemyng) and handsome "local" Angel Clare (Oliver Milburn). Tragedy ensues when the rapacious Alec "has his way" with Tess, inaugurating a chain of events that will ultimately find the heroine on trial for her life. A production of ITV's London Weekend Television, Tess of the d'Ubervilles was originally presented in one two-hour and one 90-minute installment beginning March 8, 1998. The program debuted in America on September 13 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Born in Dorsetshire, Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) fictionalized the region as Wessex in his short stories and novels. In 1973, stories from Thomas Hardy's collection Wessex Tales (1888) were adapted to television for a BBC-2 series (also titled Wessex Tales) that included a memorable contribution ("A Tragedy of Two Ambitions") scripted by acclaimed British dramatist Dennis Potter, who later adapted Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge for the BBC2 in 1978. The Scarlet Tunic is based on another story from Wessex Tales, "The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion," a 20-page tale of thwarted love, structured as a recollection by Phyllis as told to Hardy shortly before she died. For this $800,000-budgeted British period film, set in the early 19th century, the name Phyllis was changed to Frances (Emma Fielding), daughter of retired doctor Edward Groves (Jack Shepherd). Frances is engaged to her father's friend, dull Humphrey Gould (John Sessions), away on business. A German cavalry regiment is encamped on Groves' land, and one day, Frances meets handsome hussar Matthaus (Jean-Marc Barr), who's ready for action. He would like to either fight the French or return to Germany. The two have an immediate attraction. When the bored soldiers, including Matthaus, make plans to desert, Frances decides to leave with Matthaus. Unfortunately, Gould visits the Groves home on that very night, with resulting confrontations and conflicts. Former second-unit director and stunt coordinator Stuart St. Paul makes his feature directorial debut, with the screenplay (St. Paul, Mark Jenkins, Colin Clements) expanding on both the events and characters as penned by Hardy. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

In 19th century Britain, a unconventional young man struggles against the limitations of a rigid, restrictive society. Based on Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure, this somber period drama stars a suitably intense Christopher Eccleston as Jude, a young man with dreams of receiving a scholarly university education. Circumstances conspire against him, however, forcing him into a job as a stonemason and an unsatisfactory marriage. He remains true to his dream, however, and years later, after his wife's sudden departure, heads for the city. There he encounters his beautiful cousin, Sue (Kate Winslet), who shares his intelligence and disdain for convention, and the two develop a romantic relationship. These unlikely lovers must struggle to keep their relationship secret from a disapproving world, however, or else face the tragic consequences of public scandal. Though purists may object to several liberties taken with the text, director Michael Winterbottom fashions a relatively efficient tale of doomed romance from Hardy's tragedy. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Day After the Fair is a two-part TV adaptation of Thomas Hardy's On the Western Circuit. The unhappy wife (Hannah Gordon) of a brewery owner takes pity on a lonely, pregnant serving girl (Sammi Davis). The illiterate servant prevails upon her protector to write a letter to the London man (Martyn Stanbridge) whom the servant met briefly at a carnival. Almost in spite of herself, the brewer's wife finds herself the referee in the affaires d'amour of the lower orders. Taped in England, both parts of Day After the Fair were telecast in the U.S. back to back on March 12, 1988, as a double-header attraction on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast by the BBC from January 22 to March 5, 1978, The Mayor of Casterbridge was a seven-part adaptation of the novel by Thomas Hardy. Alan Bates played the title character, Michael Henchard, the wealthy and popular mayor of the Wessex community of Casterbridge. Things had not always gone so well for Michael, however; some 20 years earlier, in a drunken stupor, he had auctioned off his woebegone wife Susan (Anne Stallybrass) to a sailor named Newsom at a traveling carnival. Unexpectedly, Susan resurfaced in Casterbridge, accompanied by her now-grown daughter Elizabeth-Jane (Janet Maw). Demanding financial assistance from Michael, Susan tells him that Elizabeth-Jane is his own child, and that she will "make trouble" for him unless he cooperates. The strain of the situation drives Michael back into the bottle, while his onetime assistant Farfae (Jack Galloway) not only takes over as Mayor, but also claims Elizabeth-Jane as his sweetheart. The 11th-hour appearance of Susan's common-law husband Newsom (Richard Owens), long believed dead, results in a number of startling and mortifying developments. After its initial British TV run, The Mayor of Casterbridge was shown in America as part of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre anthology beginning September 3, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This six-episode British TV adaptation of the classic Thomas Hardy novel finds Robert Powell as the title character, whose aspirations toward the priesthood are undone by his love for the licentious Sue Bridehead (Fiona Walker). ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

In this youth-oriented adventure, two devoted boys risk their lives to divert a stream onto their mother's parched property in hopes of saving her from eviction. Unfortunately, something goes terribly wrong and they end up trapped in a cavern. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Marshall Neilan may not have been the best director for this Thomas Hardy tragedy; he was better with subject matter that wasn't quite so heavy. But he and his then-wife Blanche Sweet still made a good and financially successful film. Tess (Sweet) comes from a poor family. When her father, the town drunk, finds out that they are distant relatives of the aristocratic D'Urbervilles, he sends Tess to them to find work. She is hired as a maid by Alec D'Urberville (Stuart Holmes), who betrays her. She leaves and has a child that dies soon after it is born. After she gets work as a milkmaid, she meets Angel Clare (Conrad Nagel) and they fall in love. Although she writes a letter confessing her past to Angel, he never gets it -- a fact that Tess doesn't realize until their wedding night. She proceeds to tell him the truth, and, disillusioned, he leaves her and goes to Brazil. In the meantime, Alec D'Urberville decides to atone for his mistreatment of Tess and offers to marry her. She accepts and begins making plans to divorce Angel. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide